In Victorian London, Seven Dials was no place for the faint‑hearted: its crooked alleys and bawdy backstreets brimmed with peril after dusk. It’s from that dark inheritance that Sevendials draw their name and their sound: a trio of sonic saboteurs: Mark Gemini Thwaite, Big Paul Ferguson, and Chris Connelly, each forged in the fires of Killing Joke, The Mission, Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Murder, Inc., Mob Research, and Peter Murphy. They’ve converged to conjure A Crash Course in Catastrophe, a debut that snarls with industrial menace, shakes with post‑punk rage, yet sparks with dancefloor delirium.
Now, Sevendials unleash their take on the Sparks 1979 classic, The Number One Song in Heaven, recast as a 2025 declaration of disco‑punk intent. It’s a collision of cult pedigree and neon‑soaked night, where old‑school edge meets modern mayhem.
The Number One Song in Heaven arrived on March 23, 1979, as Sparks’ disco‑driven declaration, produced and co‑written by Giorgio Moroder. It spearheaded their No. 1 in Heaven album, marking a stark pivot from glam‑rock to electronic dance, and became a UK Top 20 hit. This bold embrace of synthesizers and four‑on‑the‑floor rhythms helped lay the groundwork for ‘80s synth‑pop. Sparks revisited the track in 1997 with Jimmy Somerville’s vocals and Tony Visconti’s orchestration, pushing it back onto the UK charts and into the US Dance Top 30. Its fusion of camp wit and cosmic disco secured its legacy as a dance floor anthem.
“We are all fans of the Mael brothers,” explains Chris Connelly, “and with Sparks recently honoured for their outstanding contribution to music, we decided to take that dance‑floor classic and update it with muscular guitars and thunderous drums. It’s now a 2025 declaration of disco intent: we can dance as well as rock, fast enough to beat the clock.”
“Last year I set a reminder to record an electric, power‑infused version of this Sparks classic—my first monthly reminder since my ‘dark & brooding’ cover of ABBA’s Knowing Me, Knowing You with Ville Valo in 2016. I’m glad we finally did it,” adds Mark Gemini Thwaite.
The video perfectly sets the tone for an album that throbs with dark electronica, pounding rock and acid‑kissed psychedelia, all juxtaposed with addictive hooks and melodies that burrow deep into your subconscious.
Watch the video for “The Number One Song in Heaven” below:
Released under Cadiz Music/Creation Youth, the sonic venture by Killing Joke’s Youth and Creation’s Alan McGee, this album ignites nine tracks of tumult and turmoil, propelled by potent riffs and booming beats. A Crash Course in Catastrophe features a guest vocal by NYC’s latex–loving Ashley Bad, delivering an electrified rendition of Animotion’s ‘80s hit Obsession remixed by Youth. From the seething energy of Knife Without Asking, driven by MGT’s towering riff tip–toeing toward Geordie Walker’s legacy, to the primal stomp of Whispering Wand, the record pulses with eclectic, compulsive ecstasy.
Order A Crash Course In Catastrophe here through Cadiz Merch.
Tracklisting:
- The Number One Song in Heaven
- Wolves
- Knife Without Asking
- Zodiac Morals
- Obsession (featuring Ashley Bad – www.ashleybad.com)
- Whispering Wand
- Before You Make Your Distance
- Corrupted Verse
- Too High to Live
- Weathervane Days
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